


Batman deserves happiness

by ZanellBlack



Category: Batman (Comics), Batman - All Media Types
Genre: F/M, Failed Wedding, Falling In Love, Self-Indulgent, Tooth-Rotting Fluff
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-07-28
Updated: 2020-07-06
Packaged: 2020-07-24 18:08:39
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 11
Words: 11,812
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20018794
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ZanellBlack/pseuds/ZanellBlack
Summary: Selina Kyle and Bruce Wayne were to get married, but in a last second thought, Selina leaves Bruce at the altar.Batman then roams around the city and finds light on a deparment, he feels attracted to the place and finds there a woman who isn't afraid of the bat. They start a story together.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> For this story to work, I imagined a public wedding announcement, not much like the one that happens in the comics for the weedding of the bat and the cat.  
> However it was somehow inspired by that. I was so happy that they were showing their wedding and then... bum! the comic happened and it broke my heart. Somehow I had to fix it, thus this idea surged.

Gotham was in shock. First they received the news that billionaire Bruce Wayne was engaged to the almost unknown Selina Kyle, just to learn a little after the wedding ceremony should have taken place that the Prince of Gotham was left at the altar.

Bruce was devastated. He cried in public. For the first time in forever he broke one of the first instructions that Alfred gave him: “Do not let them see your tears”. But he couldn’t help it. What do you do when the love of your life leaves you at the altar?

She could have said no from the start. She could have cancelled when she got cold feet and saved him all of this humiliation. However, until the day before the wedding, she kept firm on her desire of marrying him. Or so everyone thought.

Yet here he was, on a fitted black suit, best men on his side, white roses all over the Church, surrounded by friends and family who were surprised that Selena did not show up to the wedding.

“Master Bruce, if you may follow me”. An always opportune Alfred stepped up followed by Damian and guided the distressed man to the limousine. Bruce climbed in without saying a word, making Damian nervous.

At the church everyone was whispering. Dick stood at the front and addressed the attendees. “Dear friends and family, we are sorry to announce that we have no idea what is going on. We’ll tell you when we figure it out, but for now we are grateful for your presence in here tonight and we wish you a nice evening.”

He left the place followed by Barbara, Tim, Cassandra, and Jason. Kate was confused and decided to wait for the waters to calm before speaking to her cousin. It was a tough moment for the family.

_\-- Meanwhile --_

Not many miles from the Church where the wedding of the century was supposedly taking place… Elara was watching her favorite interior design show hosted by two very handsome brothers which was abruptly interrupted to announce the breaking news. _“Gotham’s Most Wanted Bachelor is still a Bachelor.”_ Apparently not even Bruce Wayne had it easy in the love department, if the man that had it all was left at the altar, what would Elara, a simple mortal hope for? 

When Elara saw the distressed face on the screen she felt her heart being scrunched by the expression on his handsome face with jet black hair and deep blue eyes. She wondered how many women have been lost in the depth of those blue eyes. And how could a woman do that to the man she swore she loved. Selena Kyle was beyond pretty too, they seemed to be a match made in heaven. Apparently, not even the rich and famous have it easy.

_\-- At Wayne Mansion --_

It is hard to be let at the altar. Bruce wanted nothing from no-one. Even Jason came to the mansion to talk to him but Bruce rejected every single attempt at talking to him from Diana to Clark and all of his adopted children. He just needed a night of patrolling, it doesn’t matter if he finds Catwoman on his way, and he just needed to worn out this feeling of abandon.

The various members of the Batfamily knew better than to let an angry Batman patrol alone. He tended to use a little more force than needed when he was in a bad place. After all, he became Batman because he wanted to seek revenge from those who murdered his parents, later changing his goal to protect the city so no other boy had to go through what he went.

The night after the wedding, Batman found himself looking at Gotham from a roof.

“Hey B, do you want company” the always cheerful voice of his eldest son distracted him from the view. 

“Nightwing, I can do it alone”

“C’mon Batman, we can take it from here” The familiar voice of a woman came from the intercom.

“Oracle” Batman acknowledges her. He was sure everyone was trying to get ahold of him. But he craved solitude so he just flew off to somewhere not to be found.

_\-- At some apartment building in Gotham --_

For a person with anxiety caused by stress it is difficult to fall asleep. At least that was Elara keeps saying to herself. She decided that two in the goddamn morning was a good time to bake. She was following a recipe she found on Instagram for Chocolate Lava Cakes and it was her first time trying it since it looked simple enough for a sleepless night.

On his attempt to escape from all the vigilantes trying to make him feel better, Batman followed mindlessly the smell of freshly baked cake to the only light on from a building nearby. He opened the window silently and entered. It was a strange sight to see Batman frozen in the middle of the living room. It was a small department that felt even smaller due to the broad complexion of the very muscular man.

“Jesus Christ!” Elara took her hand to her heart in surprise when she noticed Batman standing quietly just a step behind her coffee table. “You are going to kill someone from fright! How long have you been standing there?” The hooded figure didn’t answer. “Well, is your turn over? Do you want a cake? It is my first attempt at it, it doesn’t look perfect but I am sure they are edible.”

It started to feel strange when he didn’t reply again. Elara didn’t try to make conversation again, just moved over the kitchen with familiarity cleaning her kitchen tools and placing the cakes on a container, later that day she would be offering them to her coworkers.

When she turned again to where Batman was standing, she saw that the vigilante had already left. Well, maybe it was a hallucination caused by the lack of sleep, which meant it was time to go to bed and get some sleep. Batman was only an illusion created from her very tired brain.


	2. Chapter 2

The next day, Bruce fulfilled all his appointments. He directed Wayne Enterprises as he was supposed to, he closed three deals and supervised a prototype for their new watch model. Later he was visited at the office by Dick Grayson.

“Bruce, are you sure you don’t need time?”

“Time for what exactly?” He replied exasperated by the attention he was receiving.

“To recover from…“

“No, I am busy with company matters. Now if you excuse me this meeting is over”.

Dick was disappointed and as worried as every other member of the batfamily. Not even Alfred was able to get more than two words out of Bruce.

That night he didn’t notice when he reached the same building he entered the night before. This time all lights were off. Batman half smiled thinking that the previous night was a one-time occurrence and prepared to leave the neighborhood when the light from the apartment 512 went on. Apparently the lady living there was up again.

Two weeks from this day, Elara had an important report to be delivered. It was a comparison of the investment the company she worked for had done in the last 10 years in marketing and media and how it had impacted the sales. To be honest, it wasn’t promising. Apparently when they had assigned a large sum of money for advertising but the impact of these commercials was minimal regarding the sales volume. Nowadays the market had change and Elara’s department needed the money to position the brand in the market, but due to the results to be presented, it was probable that half of the people working with her could lose their jobs. It was a stressful place to be, so she couldn’t sleep again. It was becoming a recurrent situation.

This time, she decided to dust off her bookshelves at two am. Once again the hooded figure was standing by the coffee table. When she turned she was started by the vision. “Jesus Christ! Again! What are you doing there?” 

Batman didn’t reply. “Am I dreaming or is Batman really standing broodily in my living room”

“I’m sorry to disturb you ma’am.” He said with a saddened voice that made Elara want to hug him. But this was Batman we are talking about, that seemed wrong from every angle you see it.

“Wait, do you want some tea? Coffee perhaps” Batman just denied it with the head while Elara resumed her activity without making fuss of the situation.

Batman questioned himself again why was he here pestering this lady. He left the place once again without making any sound to a very surprised Elara.

The third night Batman was wandering again and reached Elara’s building just to find that the light was off again. This time it didn’t turned on. He was glad; maybe she was having a good rest. At least she was safe and happy for the night.

It was amazing how he kept coming back to the place. Robin, Red Robin, Nightwing, Red Hood and Black Bat had desisted from following him to patrol. They understood he needed space to recover from the heartbreak and patrolling alone seemed to be the way in which Bruce was dealing with all that happened with Selina, who by the way, had disappeared. Yet they were in constant contact with Oracle in case Batman needed them.

During the following night he found the window open and the light on. He entered without hesitation to find Elara sitting on her couch drinking a cup of tea and biscuits alone. This time Elara did see when Batman entered her room. It was clear that she had been crying. 

“Hey, you’re back. This means I am not dreaming. I wish this was a dream, just a nightmare. Gosh, I wish life was easier”. That was something they had in common, both wished their lives were easier. 

Elara knew he wasn’t a talkative person and she being drowsy and half sleep started to talk. She didn’t care if he replied or not, she just needed to talk without fear of being judged, and so she started to retell her day full with her dilemmas. She talked about her boss and how she was incapable of making the tough decisions that needed to be done for their company to grow. How her coworkers had never gotten the ideal tools for their work to be done effectively. She talked and talked about the insecurities she had a work.

At some point she noticed she kept talking to the broody figure. “I am sorry. I must have bored you to death. I just… can’t deal with this anymore. It’s too much to take”. Batman nodded politely. He had been listening to her ranting for nearly an hour but he wasn’t bored or anything. On the contrary, he was surprised that out of the blue this lady was spilling her worries to a stranger. “I think I am going to bed… Take care Batman”. She bid goodnight to the vigilante and left to her bedroom leaving Batman in the same spot he has been all night. Batman turned off the light and closed the window as he left. A shy half smile creped to his lips.


	3. Chapter 3

To Elara’s surprise, Batman kept coming, perhaps not every night, but often indeed. He was warming up to the idea to talk to her. Batman wasn’t sure if she had just a messed up sleeping schedule or if she messed her sleeping schedule to be awake when he arrives. He wasn’t really interested either. The pain of the rupture with Catwoman seemed to wane when he was with this woman.

Batman realized that he hadn’t done a research about Elara, so he decided to use the batcomputer to gather information about the woman.

He found out that Elara had a junior position in a Marketing Agency where she worked since moving to Gotham five years ago. She was born in Alabama and had two siblings. He also found out that she had no partner, which in retrospective was obvious from her one bedroom department that showed only pictures of her and her friends traveling.

Bruce Wayne was in a slightly better mood. Although Alfred tried to talk about his relationship with Selena, he dismissed the topic every time. Nonetheless everyone noticed he was calmer about the whole situation.

The batfamily was worried, all of them. It became evident when Jason went to Bruce to ask for help in a case against a not so prominent mob lord that tried to introduce a new drug into Gotham. It was an easy case. they knew that the Red Hood could certainly take care of the case. However Bruce agreed to assist.

When the henchmen that tried to distribute the new drug called “wicked” were captured by the Red Hood, Batman called it a day.

“Good job. Can you handle them until Gordon arrives?”

“Pff… are you doubting my competence Old Man?” Batman’s expression remained impassible under the cowl. “Oh I see… is there anything you’d like to share with the team?” Red Hood asked getting to understand why everyone seemed suspicious about the reason why Batman takes some time after patrol to be “alone”.

“No.”

With a nod Batman acknowledge the competence of Red Hood to then grapple a nearby building and leave to see if he could still catch Elara awake at home.

The window was closed. Perhaps today she decided to go to sleep early. Batman thought that she deserved a night of good rest, but egoistically desired she had trouble sleeping so he could keep her company. To his surprise when he was about to leave, the door from the apartment opened to reveal an Elara that was arriving home. She had a girl’s night with two of her best friends and per usual, they stayed chatting until the establishment they selected for their meeting had to close. They had such a hard time trying to match agendas that their outings were almost a miracle, thus they tend to lose track of time when being together. And so Elara informed to The Batman that was now standing in the middle of the room.

A new worry crossed Batman’s mind: Gotham was the most crime ridden city in America and Elara arrived late as if she wasn’t in danger. Well she was not in an immediate danger but she was in a possible and hypothetical danger as much as every citizen. 

He didn’t want to appear possessive and let it slip this time without a sermon after all; Elara was a grown woman that could make her own decisions. For one night Batman decided to relax to the point of allowing himself to share a slice of the pay that Elara brought that night.

“Do you like it? I’ve been trying new recipes.”

“It is delicious.”

Elara was surprised. Those were the first words that Batman directed to her. By now, she was used to enjoy his company in silence and was startled by the raspy sound of Batman’s voice because she was sure it wasn’t his persona voice.

From then on, Batman’s regular visits included actual conversation and not only Elara’s monologues. Batman provided insights on Elara’s everyday situations. They talked about books, and movies, and expectations, and work. Batman avoided talking about kids, even when he had 5 at home.


	4. Chapter 4

At home, Bruce was definitively doing better and it was noticeable. Dick even consulted Cassandra about the change on his attitude. So far, they kept a certain distance from Bruce, giving him time and space, being the reserved person he was they didn’t want him to shut them out if they stepped further. But they were genuinely curious. Selena Kyle and Bruce Wayne had been in an on and off relationship for about two decades, including their alter egos. Then they decided to get married, alter egos included… just to not doing it in the end.

The children of Bruce Wayne were used to see him brooding. When he was left at the altar he seemed even broodier than before. All the sudden, Bruce Wayne was back to the normal business man that everyone seemed to know. They did notice that when Batman finished his turn stopping crime in Gotham, he hurried to god knows where.

But you see, the thing about having a family of vigilantes was that they were really good at solving mysteries. This was one they couldn’t let pass. Dick first recruited Cassandra. Then Damian. Next he called Jason and they finally meet Tim.

“We have to know what Bruce is doing after patrol.” Dick commented.

“He’s visiting a building at Lester Street, near East End. There he meets a woman named Elara. I’ve search her and she is just a normal person with a normal job. She works at “Creative Creed Marketing Agency”, a small firm that is 15 years old with a small portfolio of clients, none of them related to Wayne Industries.” Tim replied absentmindedly.

“And you know all of this because…?” Jason asked.

“I looked at his search history in the batcomputer.”

Alfred was mildly aware of the boy’s intentions. He also wanted to know more about this new situation and the person who was letting the sunshine back into Master Bruce’s soul. But the methods of the bats weren’t always subtle and most of the times, backfired. He didn’t’ want that outcome this time.

“Master Dick, Whatever you are planning to do, please… Do not sully the solace that Master Bruce has found in Elara. He deserves happiness.”

One day, Elara entered her apartment and felt it strange. She couldn’t pinpoint what exactly was out of place, but she was certain something was out of place. She started to complete her routine: wash the dishes, cook her lunch for next day, do a little housekeeping work… then it hit her. She saw a small black button on the vase that decorated the table. It was disguised in between the purple stones that served as ornament but she had seen too many episodes from CSI to know what it means… she had been bugged.

She looked around surreptitiously finding more bugs around the house. Apparently those batboys weren’t as subtle as they thought.

When Batman arrived that night he found an Elara absorbed into the latest season of Doctor Who. She looked at him and pressed a finger to her mouth demanding silence.

“Hey B. do you want to watch the show with me?”

Batman sat next to her surprised by this new behavior. She usually favored silence after a long day of chores and work and waited to talk to him recounting her day. She was never that contradictory.

He was surprised to feel Elaras’s breath close to his ear.

“They are listening to us.” She whispered with a smile opening her hand to show five little black buttons that she found on a vase, behind a photograph, under the coffee table, at the lampshade and next to the coffee machine. She only looked at the common places where such devices were hidden.

Although she didn’t specify who “ _they_ ” were, Batman knew his people. He was afraid that his after patrol routine was interrupted by the little birds. This was his secret spot, a safe haven where he had found consolation from his tormented life. He wasn’t ready to share this piece of peace with anyone.

It is impressive how they could communicate without words for having so little time since they started to interact. Batman wandered around the apartment and found another 10 devices. They surely were from Red Robin. If Red Robin knew, the others did as well.

After the purge, they behave as usual, telling about their days and sharing a piece of cake until it was time for Elara to go to sleep and Batman to return to the Batcave.

Bruce wasn’t mad about the intrusion of Tim. He wasn’t happy either. He just hoped his secret to remain secret a little longer, but he knew that sooner or later, the curiosity would take over his children and he had to explain what he was doing.

He didn’t face any of the kids the next day when he went to have breakfast and found everyone at the table. He greeted them good morning and proceeded to read the newspaper. He was in a good mood.

\---

The more days there passed, the more curious were the kids. Dick had the advantage of being a police officer. It wasn’t conspicuous when he drove to the small establishment where Elara’s marketing agency had its headquarters to have a look at the mysterious woman. 

He reported back at the birds. “She is just a normal woman, chocolate brown hair. 5’6, smiley face. She’s not a super model for sure, but she is beautiful in her way. She has that natural beauty that you hope to find on a woman. I also noticed she commands power, like you wouldn’t want to get on her bad side. That’s all I could notice.”

Curiosity won the best of Jason too. He casually found her while Elara was getting groceries. He recognized her at the instant and agreed with Dick. Elara had strong features and the wrinkles on her forehead told him that she liked to think, give orders and be right. She favored vegetables and got the ingredients for Lasagna, perhaps someday they could share recipes. Jason chuckled when he thought he was going too forward in time.

Elara was growing suspicious that someone was following her every day. At first she couldn’t see who was following her, but then she noticed faces that she had seen before. Contrary to what could be thought, she found it amusing. Apparently Batman had guardian angels, or better said guardian birds that cared deeply for him. Elara had nothing to hide thus didn’t give it importance. But during their next encounter with Batman she would mention it.


	5. Chapter 5

That Saturday night was violent. Sirens were heard all over Gotham. In the news broadcasting anchors advised citizens to remain inside their homes; apparently the Joker was provoking Batman again and there was a persecution in the city. Elara was worried. After 7 months of knowing Batman he grew in her. She adapted somehow her time schedule to meet his with the hope to see him daily. But today he was truly in danger and here was nothing she could do nor someone could she contact to know about him.

Elara decided to turn off the TV and sat in silence in her living room one light on looking distractedly at the screen. Her thoughts were interrupted by the sliding window and the grunt that accompanied it. Elara hurried to assist the man entering through the window. Her hand on his side felt wet and when she looked at the spot she noticed the red color on her skin.

“You are bleeding.” She helped him take a seat at the sofa and hurried to get her first aid kit from the cabinet in the bathroom. “Let me see it.”

“I am fine… I just need…” Batman was gasping for air. It was clear he was in pain. He didn’t know why he went to see Elara instead of going back to the medic bay of the batcave. Whatever that has driven him to make that decision; he now felt guilty at the expression of the woman trying to check his wound. “You don’t need to…” He tried to push her away in between another gasp of pain.

“BRUCE WAYNE STOP BEING SO OBDURATE AND LET ME TAKE A LOOK AT THAT WOUND.”

To say that Batman was surprised was to say the least. He sat at the couch and allowed the woman to take a look at his wound. She proceeded to clean and started to apply numbing ointment in preparation to actually stitching. He took off his cowl without her noticing.

“Since when do you know?”

“What?” Elara hadn’t noticed her words until Batman asked back. “Oh. That the man behind the cowl is Bruce Wayne? It has been a while.” She continued cleaning the wound trying to avoid the gaze from the always intimidating Batman. She knew her cheeks were blushing and tried everything she could to prevent Bruce from seeing her face. However, she failed loudly. “I think that deep inside, all of the citizens of Gotham know who is behind the mask but prefer not to think much about it as long as he’s protecting them. Now, this is going to sting.” She continued avoiding Bruce’s face.

Elara prepared to stitch the wound. With all the care she was capable of, she traced the wound with her fingers finding the best spot to use the surgical thread to close the wound and let it heal.

“Why did you learn to stitch up?” Bruce was wondering why she would want to possess this ability. Maybe he was responsible for the acquisition of this competence. His guilt started to win the battle in his mind.

“My nephew is a nurse. I asked him to teach me the basics so I could help people in an emergency. I once found myself in a situation that required knowing about first aid and I couldn’t help the pregnant woman collapsing due to an explosion. If it wasn’t because my sister was there, that woman may have lost her child. I decided I never wanted to be in that situation again, so I asked for help.” She did the finishing touches to the knot and cut the thread. “There you go. Now take this pill and rest.” She gave him a strong painkiller and a glass of water which he took willingly.

“I have to go back.” Bruce tried to stand up just to be greeted with pain from the newly stitched wound.

“You have to rest at least for some minutes.” Elara’s tone was demanding and left no space for replies. For once, someone was standing in front of him. He was surprised of her change of attitude, at first she seemed shy when revealing that she knew about Bruce Wayne but now, she gave him an order without space for decline.

“Yes Ma’am.” Bruce replied solemnly as he accepted his destiny.

“Do you want me to call them?”

It was Bruce’s turn to be taken aback by the question. He didn’t know what she was talking about. He found certain comfort at just sitting there, resting his eyes with Elara by his side.

“Whom?”

“Anyone, the other bats.” Elara was shy about addressing the white elephant in the room, but she was worried about Bruce.

“I suppose you know about them as well.” Bruce wasn’t worried about them knowing. He could call the Oracle and she would pass the voice. Yet he wanted to have a little time to rest before facing them again.

“Well, to be honest I think I’ve seen them following me.” In a second, the ambience changed to give way to a more relax atmosphere.

Bruce knew she was right. He hadn’t seen them following her or asked about it, but he had no doubt they were following Elara. “I am sorry about that, they are just curious kids.”

“No need to apologize. I believe they care an awful lot about you and who surrounds you. However if they are playing to be top notch spies… they are failing miserably.”

Elara started to recount her encounters with the batboys to a more relaxed Bruce. Somehow she found herself tired enough to snuggle with Batman. He didn’t stop her. Soon both of them fell into a comfortable sleep.


	6. Chapter 6

Luckily enough, Bruce woke up at the break of dawn. He saw Elara sleeping peacefully next to him, but as much as he wanted to enjoy the moment, he had to hurry to the Manor before anyone could see Batman sneaking out of this woman’s window.

He just threw a blanket over Elara’s sleeping figure and smiled the sight of her hugging the blanket. He left noticing how the domesticity of the scene made him smile.

“You look well rested Master Bruce.” Alfred noticed the change in Bruce’s expression when he went to his room to wake him up.

As observant as he was, he noticed the stitched wound on Bruce’s side when Bruce changed his expensive pajamas.

“Remarkable work has been done at your wound sir. It is probable that there won’t be a prominent scar after it heals.”

Bruce took time to examine the wound. It was indeed a good work. The skin was tender around the stitches so he decided to cover them. He also decided not to entertain Alfred with the story about the woman who made such work, because he was sure Alfred would want to know every detail about her and Bruce wasn’t sure why he kept going to see her after patrol.

All of the little birds were at the table for breakfast. That was a new happening at Wayne Manor. Bruce was surprised but he was so well trained that his facial expression did not show it. He just greeted everyone and took his seat at the head of the table.

“So, where did you disappear last night? There was blood where Batman fought. We were worried!” Dick was the designated speaker. They all were ready to get a confession from Bruce. They were happy that he had found a woman but they were dying to know the details, all of them… except Damian who despised any woman that was not Talia beside his Father. And due to recent events and his inability to address the wedding fiasco, their curiosity reached dangerous levels.

But Bruce knew better. He was certain they had an idea of where he had been after the fight and inside they were eager to hear his confession. “Why don’t you ask the question you’re dying to find out the answer for?”

“I’ll do it. Are you dating someone?” Jason stepped forward.

“No, I am not.” It was true. Certainly Jason didn’t ask the question as it was meant to be, but Bruce was not dating anyone. Elara wasn’t his partner although now he recognized his feelings and accepted to himself that he wanted to date her.

“Then who is the woman you visit every night?”

“She is just a friend.” _For now_. He wasn’t sure where he wanted this relationship to reach or if he was ready to start a relationship with her at all, but for now this was his truth.

That day, Bruce started to question if Elara could be considered his friend. He still had to get over the fact that she knew his alter ego identity and she had not revealed this information to the press. When he was watching through the window of his office he noticed that for the last months he had not given a thought to Selina, yet he craved his nocturne visit to Elara, even when he was injured.

As if sensing that he was forgetting about her, a letter from Selina was given to Bruce through his newspaper. In that letter, Selina explained that Bruce being Batman was far more important than whatever she could offer to him. For her, Batman could only exist if Bruce was a little broken. She justified her sudden disappearance saying that happiness wasn’t meant to them. They were broken and that’s how they work well. If they repair each other, then all they have gotten and fought for in their lives so far would be in vain.

Bruce didn’t know how to react to such declaration. The part that though he deserved happiness with Selena felt offended by her statement. He also thought that he was broken and thus not deserving happiness which was exactly what Selina said. Yet there was the tiny seed that reminded him that there was a woman whose eyes shine every night and who probably adapted her sleeping pattern to spend time with him every night. She was happy with him, she never asked him not to be who he was nor questioned about Batman’s motifs.

He crumped the letter and put it aside. Running a million dollar company was a demanding job that required him not to mourn over Selina’s words as much as they hurt. He would write a letter to her and leave it on their safe penthouse. The room where many times during the years they have been together and spent the night in each other’s arms.

The crumped paper was collected by Alfred who read the message from Selina. He was worried. After all, he was in charge of raising Bruce since his parents were murdered. He always dread the moment in which Bruce felt he wasn’t loved by the woman he loved. He was scared that this revelation could turn to dust the pieces of his broken heart.

That night, Agent A kept a close watch over the Batman. After all, Alfred was a retired military agent who also trained Bruce. He saw him entering the room where Bruce and Selena used to meet and leaving just a letter on the pillow.

Bruce gave a final look to the bed he shared countless times with Selina and flew from the window. He still had some hours to patrol around Gotham City and if he was lucky enough, he could go visit Elara and find her awake. Just to talk. As friends.


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm not completely happy with this chapter, but I've been revising it for three weeks, I felt it needed to be published already.

The letter still plagued Bruce’s thoughts for a while. However as days passed by Batman (and Bruce) felt more comfortable staying with Elara. In his mind, he was going for being friends, and she made that easy.

It was obvious that Bruce had more experience in managing a company and since the beginning of their relationship Elara was more than happy to receive feedback on her work dilemmas from Batman. But Bruce was never a character that speaks much, but one day, after an especially tiring confrontation, Bruce spoke about his job as the masked vigilante of Gotham.

The reason why he was willing to talk about that night was because the confrontation was one that still crushes his heart. He had a discussion with Jason a.k.a. Red Hood. It was silly, like most of their fights, but as always, it took its toll on him.

“He thinks I expect too much of him, and mostly, that I expect him to be someone who he’s not. But the truth is that I just want him to be… happy.” That was the night he opens up about the second Robin’s death. It was one of the most traumatic chapters of his story as Batman and of the most challenging situations he ever faced as Bruce Wayne. He even told Elara about the fatal beat the Joker and how Alfred and he could barely recover from the pain caused by his death.

Elara felt her heart constrict to the story. To this point in their relationship, she was certain that Bruce loved his children. She listened attentively to the story not trying to attract attention to fact that it was the first time he spoke long and hard about his children. She connected the dots and figured that Jason Todd was the one who died. The pain Bruce/Batman had to endure at the loss of his child must have been enormous and a new disdain for the Joker grew on her.

“He came back. Talia revived him though a magical device. Since then, he became a cold blooded vigilante. He has grown in many aspects, yet he hasn’t forgiven me completely for his death.”

The truth being told, Elara did a little bit of research on Bruce every day since the night that changed their relationship. Plus she needed to correctly label the faces that were becoming more and more notorious in her daily activities. She knew about them but then she had to learn to recognize them among the multitudes, after all, they all were top notch detectives.

“Poor Jason, it must be really hard for him to conceal trying to make your family proud and fighting your inner demons. How is he doing now?” In their conversation, Bruce was certain he never mentioned Jason’s name. He was surprised that Elara knew his name and also, that her reaction to the story was to make sure that he is doing well first before asking for details. He would be forever grateful for that.

Without noticing, Bruce heart was fluttering with every word Elara spoke. She never judged him for his decisions, even when she said several times that she didn’t agree with his raising children decisions. For once, she said she would not have let an 8 years old decide on his vigilante costume. At that time, kids favored bright colors over stealth or functionality. Bruce agreed wholeheartedly and chuckled at her input. It was refreshing for both of them being so laidback. 

Batman noticed that Elara wasn’t afraid to confront him or just calling out him to tell the truth and admit he wasn’t wrong. For the first time in forever he didn’t feel the need to pretend that he was solemn all the time. He gave himself permission to be silly with Elara. He gave himself permission to act weird around her. He gave himself permission to be himself. It was a new feeling.

The batfamily noticed the changes in Bruce’s mood and manners. They knew it was because of Elara. Alfred felt that it was a good sign that he found someone to rely on. Dick was happy too, for him it was about time Bruce found his own happiness and he could be a little less bitter during his nighttime activities.

Cass was over the moon, she had high hopes for this relationship, and she couldn’t help liking Elara a bit more every day. She made sure not to be seen by her when she followed her to her daily routine, unlikely her brothers. Cassandra saw her working and being completely immerse in the task at hand at work. She noticed how sometimes she smiled at the screen of her computer when she read news about Bruce. And she was sure that Elara had not noticed how she slowly fell for Gotham’s most eligible bachelor. 

With Cass seal of approval, Alfred knew everything he needed to know about Elara. He preferred to be in the shadows, not interacting with the woman just yet. He sensed that at some point, Bruce would need a little push forward in that relationship. He wanted to keep his high cards hidden for that moment.


	8. Chapter 8

It wasn’t uncommon to call the wealthy 1% population of Gotham to Galas for funding. They were a great place to make new contacts and to know who is who in the city of crime. Bruce was attending the one of the Police Department which he wanted to join because Dick would be there and he wanted to show his support for his adoptive son. He confirmed the attendance of his family, a total of 8 people.

Regularly, news reporters were checking every detail of Bruce’s actions and when they learn that there was a non-disclosed name confirmed to attend with the Waynes they started to speculate if Selina Kyle was reappearing with the family.

But the truth is that Bruce was not yet convinced to show to the world his allegiance to Elara. What if they mistreated her? He didn’t want to be a nuisance for her or scare her for life and being thrown out of her life. He kept her invitation hidden. 

Not that it was an impediment for Alfred and Cassandra to take action in the matter. Cass found a beautiful periwinkle blue dress that would be ideal for the occasion and together they planned for the dress to be delivered with the invitation and make up kit to the address that Batman kept on visiting.

Cassandra picked the entrance door and left everything ready for when that evening Elara comes back home.

Elara was truly surprised her when she arrived and found an elegant dress complete with accessories waiting for her on her couch. Her insecurities started to talk in the face of such gift.

Was this a gift from Bruce? After touching the quality of the fabric she was sure it was. It would have taken her four months of savings to afford such a luxurious garment. Was this for a special occasion? No doubt. Which occasion was the unanswered question. The package was accompanied by a card informing that Cassandra Wayne would check on her at 4 and by 6 a car would be picking her up at the door to take them to the Gala. 

Reality hit at once. The batfamily knew about her, I mean, she knew they knew about her but this made it real. Elara was an hour from meeting the daughter of Bruce Wayne who was an accomplished vigilante. She had to fight back a panic attack. Deciding not to lose a minute of normalcy, Elara had a light meal uncertain if she could stomach something heavy and turned on the TV. She wasn’t really paying attention to the show on the screen and when she heard the knock on the door she was startled.

“Hi. Gala tonight.” A smiling face and open arms greeted Elara. Cassandra had her hands occupied by shopping bags and let herself in. apparently that was a common trait on the Waynes.

Although Cassandra was best known for being silent she couldn’t help to ask questions to Elara that gave her the opportunity to talk. So far she was used to conversations with Batman that started with the other speaking and Batman just nodding or even staring without blinking. Cassandra was much like him. Elara could see why he had adopted her.

Half an hour later, they were engrossed in the hairdos. Cassandra recommended something natural and just rippled her hair enough to show some curves. Then it was make up time, something natural again that heighten the natural beauty of Elara. Then Cassandra had her make up done by Elara which wasn’t bad at all.

“I’ve seen a lot of YouTube make-up tutorials. I never get quite the look I was going for but you look beautiful Cassandra.” Elara said making the last touches on her shadows.

Around 6, they got into their dresses and put on their shoes for when someone comes to pick them up. For their surprise, Damian was the one standing on the door. He was a carbon copy of his father which elicited a surprise gasp from Elara who opened the door. 

“Tt. Father must be waiting for us. He is very punctual.” He stated against his will and best judgement. He wasn’t sure why his Father was interested in this person.

Damian turned and the women followed him to the car that was waiting outside. Alfred was ready next to the open door. Damian entered first to the car followed by Cassandra. Elara was the last one to enter.

“I must say that it is a pleasure to finally meet you Madame, you look lovely tonight.” The butler greeted Elara.

A light blush crept to Elara’s cheeks that made the old butler smile once again. Surely this lady was a huge turn from the always confident Selina. He tried not to compare them but it was hard, especially when he felt aggravated that Selina thought that Bruce needed to be broken to be useful.

“Thank you.” was all she could shyly reply.


	9. Chapter 9

Arriving to the gala there was a red carpet at the entrance where all the rich and famous Gothamites parade to the amusement of fans and the flashes of paparazzi. It was a completely foreign world for Elara. The enormity of what was about to happen hit at once and scared her. For starters she had no idea if Bruce would be waiting for her to come. If not, she had nothing to do there. If yes, she had no idea what does that mean in their relationship.

Being the expert reader that Cassandra was, she noticed the anxious hands of Elara moving constantly.

\- It’s fine. We are here … with you. – Cassandra extended her hands to reach the nervous Elara’s and gave them an assurance squeeze.

\- Be ready to leave and remember, do not talk to the press, walk fast, look forward and act confident. – Damian instructed to the first time pageant.

Bruce arrived alone in one of his luxurious cars, a beautiful custom black Aston Martin. No butler, no sons, no partner, just Bruce looking dapper in a black perfectly fitted suit.

Dick arrived with Barbara by the arm. They look like the happy couple they were, both of them with strong ties to the Gotham police department.

Jason Todd made quite an entrance. He was wearing a suit, alright, but he was wearing a suit driving a customized thousand dollars Harley Davidson. He wanted to keep his Bad Boy imagery and he surely had his fans melting for a smile.

Tim just arrived, with no ostentatious entrance. He tried to be as stealthy as he could and he succeeded, no one could say that they saw him entering.

Bruce was at the entrance answering to an interviewer when he heard the sound of thousand flashes clicking. When he turned to see what had attracted the attention from all the photographers he was speechless at what he say. There she was Elara flanked by Damian and Cassandra.

\- Hello Bruce. – She greeted the man standing in front of him  
\- Is she your partner Mr. Wayne? – The journalist questioned.  
\- Yes, she is with me. Now if you excuse us, the police department is waiting for us inside. – And Bruce surrounded her waist guiding her to the party.

The inside of the venue was tastefully decorated in light color drapes that hung from the ceiling. There were fine canapés at the tables and waiters were pacing around serving wine.

\- You look fantastic tonight Elara.

\- Thank you… Cassandra did a great job with the dress, hair and make-up.

Bruce was certain she did, but he was not surprised by the way Elara looked tonight. He was surprised that he found her beautiful from the first moment that he startled her in the middle of her apartment and now she was simply glowing. He would have a word with Cass later, to thank the gesture.

Standing in the crowd became a little awkward. Elara started to fidget around, a nervous tick that Bruce had noticed on her whenever she couldn’t voice what she was talking. To calm her nerves he took her hands and held her close, trying to make her feel protected. Elara then look at him with adoration.

They say there is a moment when you just knew you’ve completely fallen in love, when you find yourself lying helpless in her arms and you can see your future in the other’s eye. This was Bruce’s moment.

And of course, it was interrupted by someone who just couldn’t take a hint and leave him alone. A novice entrepreneur who wanted the contacts and to merge business with Bruce suddenly fought to grab his attention. When the attendees noticed that Bruce had made a pause to talk about business they came to surround Bruce and fought to get his attention. He was polite enough to let them speak while checking regularly on Elara.

The distraction was taken advantage of by Dick who introduced himself and Barbara. He got Elara’s hand and kissed the back of her hand eliciting giggles from the woman in question.

\- I don’t think that B would be pleased to see you flirting with his date. – Jason interjected. He knew that Dick was just playing around, yet he felt the need to put a stop to his usual flirty behaviour.

  
\- Where is the other? – Elara asked the boys looking around the floor for someone.  
\- Pardon?- Jason’s attention was drawn from the bickering with Dick to the woman again.  
\- Timothy, he’s the one I haven’t met yet.  
\- Oh Timbo. He’s trying to get some coffee from the waiter. He is over there. – Jason pointed to the service door where Tim was in point of fact, talking to a waiter.

But when Elara turned to see him, she was greeted with a worried Bruce. He had just escaped the man surrounding him.

\- I see you all have satisfied your curiosity. Elara you have officially met Damian, Cassandra, Richard, Jason and – he turned to welcome Tim who had successfully gotten his mug of coffee. – And Timothy. They are my family. Now if you excuse us, we need a moment.

They all left to enjoy the gala and meet their various interests. Damian was being coerced by Cassandra to enjoy the party. Tim was talking to a man who was sure he could hack into S.T.A.R. Laboratories. Jason was flirting with the daughter of a high rank police officer and Dick was greeting people with Barbara. Elara took a moment to look around the place and noticed the children.

\- Your kids are nice.  
-If you say so… you haven’t seen them fighting over the XboX controls. It’s even worse than them trying to defend the city. – Then he made a pause to simply look at her and take in her familiar beauty. - So are you enjoying yourself?  
\- This is so unreal. I never thought I’d be in a gala, dancing with Bruce Wayne.  
\- Well miss, believe it or not, you are here. – Bruce gave her a charming smile, not like the stiff ones reserved for public moments, or the ones with which he tried to act his playboy persona. It was a sincerely enjoying the moment with Elara.

They danced for three songs and then the chief of the police department asked for a pause in the music to make an announcement. He firstly thanked all the participation and started to retell the achievements from the last year and the challenges for the new to come.

___

Selina Kyle was certain that she and Bruce weren’t meant to get married. She was sure that she had done the right thing by leaving him that particular day. And she was sure that Bruce loved her and would forgive her once and again, despite what he said in his letter. So she decided to appear at the gala he was supposed to attend and surprise him.

What she wasn’t expecting was to see him with another woman. Not that she was ever worried about all of the women that tried to get close to him. She knew he had to maintain his façade of playboy.

When Bruce left alone the woman he was with to get wine for them, Selena interjected him and dragged him to the dance floor.

\- Hello my love. We need to talk. – Selina purred.  
\- All is said and done between us. Now, if you excuse me.  
\- I see… this is how it’s going to be now?

Bruce grew agitated by Selina’s statement. The tone of their relationship was dictated by her actions and he had move on from them.

\- You decided how this is going to be the moment you left me at the altar. On our wedding day.  
\- I am sorry that you feel like this love, but what I did, I did it for a greater good. You will always put first the safety of your loved Gotham and they need you.  
\- I needed you Selina. I thought I found happiness with you and you left me because you think I am better for the city if I’m broken. That is not love.

In that moment Bruce looked away to search for Elara. To his surprise, he saw that she was being dragged by a man. Bruce had learned to know her expressions well and he noticed the discomfort on her walking. He saw once again Selina’s face before sprinting to catch Elara and the man who was with her.

\- Excuse me sir, but it seems that you’re taking away my date.  
\- Wayne… I thought you were occupied with your… fiancée. – not only the words meant to sting, the subtle way in which he was talking meant to burn like poison on Bruce. Perhaps the man was jealous, perhaps he was hoping to provoke him or maybe he was just mean. Whatever it was the intention behind his words, Bruce wouldn’t take it. What the man told Elara clearly made her feel bad and he wouldn’t take it.  
\- That is no reason for you to drag away a beautiful woman against her will.

The boys noticed the situation and came to stand nearby Bruce. Cassandra was the first to take note of Elara’s discomfort and supported Bruce by grabbing her taking her away from the arguing men. It wasn’t Bruce’s intention to make a scene so he just closed his fists and dismissed the man following Cass and Elara.

\- Are you ok? –Bruce had an idea of what could be crossing her mind but he didn’t want to make any assumption about it, but he could notice the sadness that invaded her bright black eyes. – Tell me what’s wrong. – He lifted her chin so they eyes could meet. It was the closest they had been.

Inside Elara was assaulted by doubts. She fears that she was only a pastime while Bruce felt better about Selina. Until today, she had never seen her nor paying attention to her and now she have noticed her out of this world beauty. All the insecurities a woman can have about herself came to Elara like a tidal wave. Bruce or Batman was visiting her to heal from the pain inflicted by this woman. She was nothing special, just the chance he took when he was vulnerable.

\- I’ll take you home.

Bruce asked for his car and left the Gala. He will send a hefty check to the organizer to compensate for him not to stay until the end.

Back at the gala, those who stop and noticed the scene were in awe. Not only Bruce Wayne left his former fiancée alone in the crowd without looking back. He left with a woman that nobody knew. Selina felt offended because she always took Bruce for granted. Before she could cry in public and make a scene, she flew from the gala.

It had been her decision not to proceed with the wedding. However she didn’t anticipate the entrance of another woman to the life of Bruce Wayne. It was hard to deal with the popularity of him, his business persona and the vigilante identity. Selina now realized that she never had the opportunity to get to know Bruce at home. They always met in furtive hiding places or the roofs of Gotham. She wondered if she had been mistaken when she thought that Batman could only exist when Bruce was broken. It was too late and as much as she wished she could turn back time, it was impossible now.

Of course she had read the letter that Bruce left her at their meeting place, but even with the words there written, she still believed that Bruce and her functioned better as things were. Never had she imagined that Bruce would be willing to move on. She never expected him to change. Now she realized how wrong she was.

One thing was sure; she wouldn’t give up on Bruce. They had a long history together and that could not be erased from one moment to another by some opportunist gal. Yet she had to figure out how to win him back.


	10. Chapter 10

Damian started to walk to the exit when he was called by Tim and Cass.

\- Where are you going?

\- Since Father is no longer here, I see no reason to remain in this place.

And within minutes, Alfred was in the front of hall opening the doors for his masters and ready to take they back to Wayne Manor.

The ride back home was silent, not a surprise for any of the riders. When they arrived to the Manor, Damian (undid) his tie half way across the living room. He wanted to get out of his smoking as fast as he could and get ready for patrol that night. He was under the impression that Batman wouldn’t be available and thus he had to take care of their beloved city.

Tim just (se dejó caer) in one of the comfortable couches wishing for a cup of coffee and his laptop. Yet he also was aware that maybe the Bat would be busy and as always, all hands in deck were needed to keep at bay the many evildoers of Gotham.

Breaking the silence, Alfred tried to satisfy his curiosity.

\- Would any of you, Young Masters, be so kind as to inform me what happened at the Gala?

\- Selina – Cass responded as a woman of few words.

\- I see.

It wasn’t as surprising as it may have seemed; after all, Selina Kyle had been a constant in Bruce’s life since they were both children. Unfortunately, this may also mean that Miss Elara had a tough night and since Bruce wasn’t home yet, there was no way to know how this would develop. Such a pity, Alfred thought, their relationship was just blooming when the great Cat-typhoon hit with all its force.

Seeing the expression on the faces of the youngsters, Alfred hoped for the best.

\--

To have his car in front of the main entrance of the building took less than 5 minutes for the famous Bruce Wayne. After rescuing the damsel from the man, Bruce guided Elara to the exit and put a coat over her shoulders. Then he opened the door for her to enter the car and they went off.

His first idea was to take her to the Manor with him. After all, it was his safe home and he wanted to make sure that Elara was safe and that he wouldn’t be hurt once again. However he didn’t fail to notice the silence that threated with building a barrier between them, as well as how she kept looking to the front without blinking.

Against his visceral desires, Bruce drove to the building where Elara had her apartment. It was a strange sight to see a fancy car like an Aston Martin on an average neighborhood, and it could bring unwanted attention. Bruce felt that he had already intruded enough in her life to, on top of it; put her in danger because of a fancy car. 

\- I am deeply sorry – Bruce started to explain himself to the woman, noticing one again the way she looks tonight, but he was interrupted by her.

\- You shouldn’t. Thank you for not letting him drag me out. I was… I was feeling uncomfortable. And thank you for seeing me home. – She wanted to be dismissive.

Her heart was hurt by the events of the night. Elara had to remind herself once again that she was just a friendly face through the latest events in his life. Maybe, he could consider her a friend. But to compete with Selina Kyle was simply out of question. Elara may look beautiful for the gala, but Selina was always stunning.

Thank gods Bruce was stubborn. Yes, he usually overthinks his feelings. Most of the time, he doesn’t act unless it is following a well traced plan. But few times, he was so certain about what he wanted that he doesn’t hesitate. This was one of those times.

He didn’t need Cass ability to read people to imagine the turmoil in Elara’s mind. He knew it must have been a shock to face the gala, the press, his children and finally, Selina. Yet he was more than glad that they took her to the gala. He took a step further towards her and held her forearm steadily. Another step put him extremely closely to the person he wanted to be. He was a head taller than her making her look up to his eyes.

For Bruce it was clear that she had doubts and he wanted nothing more than dissipate them. He approached slowly to her, about to kiss her. But then, they froze.

Elara was sensitive to the light and noticed a change to it. She looks through the window to see the Batsignal in the sky breaking the tension of the moment when Bruce’s lips were centimeters away from hers.

\- They need you.

It was the most inconvenient moment to be called. Bruce noticed the light too, and he doesn’t want to be mad at Gordon, but if only he could hold the urgency a little longer. Or if he could ignore it Dick or Jay could wear the suit and attend the emergency. He had another emergency at hand and he didn’t want to let Elara go.

Yet he couldn’t. It was his duty as Batman, the weight he decided to carry every night. - I’ll call you tomorrow. Have a rest. – And Bruce left.

Deep down, another battle was taking place in Elara’s mind. She really wanted Bruce to stay and prove that there was a flame burning between them. However she also shared that high sense of responsibility and wanted him to answer the call, because she couldn’t hold the tears longer and needed to be alone. It was a relief that he left.

Elara opened the door to his apartment and closed it behind her. She took a hand to her lips and started to cry trying to contain the sobs. She used the door as support and slowly slid to the ground. She cried for an indeterminate amount of time, until she thought about the dress. It was a beautiful dress and she didn’t want it to wrinkle.

Wiping her tears away, Elara went to take off the beautiful dress and put it away. She changed into her comfortable pajamas and went to sleep. This night, she wouldn’t wait for Batman.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Perhaps this needs a little more format and editing. But I really wanted to capture the idea.   
> It took me a while because I had to change the course of the story, well, only for this chapter. And suddenly, I have 3 more chapters to add.   
> I hope I can come back to my regular posting, and that this chapter is not dissapointing.


	11. Chapter 11

Elara didn’t notice when she fell asleep. It was lucky that galas were usually held on Saturdays, so she had Sunday to rest. However the constant nagging of her phone brought her back to the world after a dreamless night. She held the phone and with the eyes half open saw the caller Id showing the name of one of her best friends, Gaby. Thinking it was something important since she didn’t call often, she answered.

  * Hello?
  * Morning lucky gal! I hope we’re not interrupting anything important.- the use of the subject we, made Elara think that Grace, her other best friend, was there too.
  * No, I’m just waking up…
  * Next to a billionaire? – Grace asked with enthusiasm failing to hide her excitement and eagerness to know it all. After all, they have been friends for years yet never seen Elara dating anyone.
  * Sorry to disappoint you, but not… I’m home alone. – Elara took a look at the clock, it was around eleven already.
  * Great, we’ll be there in 10 minutes. Get ready! you have to tell us everything!! – And with that, Gaby hung up the call.



It was just great! Elara now had to answer the questions of two very eager for news friends. She needed to take a shower if she wanted to get rid of her bloated face.

Just as they promised, Gaby and Grace were at Elara’s door in record time, she was sure that under any other circumstances, a phone call would suffice, but their presence meant that they wanted to hear all the dirty details first hand. They decided that going to a restaurant for Sunday brunch was the best option there.

  * Did you leave the kids with your husbands? – Elara asked knowing well that one of the main reasons why they do not meet often is their busy lives and the fact that you have to be extremely careful at Gotham, world’s most crime ridden city.
  * Yes, we want to hear the story from you since we saw you yesterday in the news. Why haven’t you told us that you were dating THE Bruce Wayne?
  * Yeah! I’m outraged too! – Gaby commented faking a heartbreak placing her hand over her chest. Both friends were truly expecting Elara to disclose all. – I thought you’d tell us first about your date with THE Bruce Wayne!
  * Well, I haven’t told you because I’m not dating him. – Elara said to two not convinced friends – Listen, I know how it may look like, but the truth is that we’re not dating.



And she wasn’t lying. They weren’t dating, they were just… friends… sharing some time together, telling the others about their lives, and drinking a coffee every now and then.

Still the friends were not convinced. However they gave up.

  * Fine, just tell us.. how did you meet? And how did you get the invite to one of those super exclusive galas.



This was the question Elara was dreading because of the answer. She could not reveal that Bruce is indeed Batman or that she met him by mere chance once he was on patrol. So she went with the most cliché answer she could think of in times of need.

  * It was an accident… I went to an interview with a client near Wayne Enterprises and by mere chance we collided, he dropped coffee on my suit and he offered to replace it. I said no.
  * Why? I mean, the guy is rich!
  * But it was a mere coffee stain on a black suit! Anyways… he insisted on paying the dry cleaning bill and called me later. I talked to him on the phone and then he called me a couple times and latter I got the invitation… that was all.



The friends were eyeing Elara suspiciously. They have been friends over 10 years and they knew perfectly well that Elara avoided answering calls, taking calls and making calls. However against their best suspicions, they seemed to settle in the though and hope that Bruce Wayne was that good to even change one of Elara’s weird habits.

  * Alright… and are you seeing him again? We heard about Selina Kyle’s apparition at the gala. - Her friends were concerned because they wanted Elara to date someone, they remembered the 2 disastrous relationships she had had recently and how none of them lasted over 7 months. Yet they knew their friend and that Selina’s intervention could make her hide again and pass her chance with Bruce.
  * Well, I don’t think so. I mean it was all because of a coffee stain that has been fixed. So I don’t want to be optimistic. But… if by some weird play of destiny I am… I promise to text you.



Elara tried to convince herself that she meant nothing to Bruce and that last night at the gala, despite the bittersweet situation, was a one-time fairy tale coming true. Like a Cinderella story.

But the paparazzi hiding in the bushes from the crepe restaurant the girls chose for breakfast had another thing in mind. They were trying hard to win the first declaration from the mysterious woman that made playboy Bruce Wayne rejected his ex-fiancé. They captured some pictures of her and her friends but mostly they remained at bay out of the fear of Wayne Enterprises.

An hour later, the girls left the restaurant and drove to Elara’s home. Before leaving her there, they gave her an advice.

  * You have to prepare, everyone will want to know about your relationship and many would want to take advantage of it. Take care.
  * And let us know everything first! We won’t believe in magazines but we want to know it all!



It took about 30 mins to have half of the people Elara knew to send her messages and tag her in their Social Media updates with the pictures the paparazzi had taken of her brunch. All the sudden, every person she knew wanted to show off their relationship. It was infuriating, but somehow, Elara knew that the name Wayne commanded a certain respect.

\--

After ignoring all news and calls over the rest of the weekend, on Monday Elara had to go to work. She knew she would be getting some attention. Indeed she entered the office and every head turned to follow her. Unfortunately, her boss Gabriel was expecting to hear her steps to call her to his office.

  * Elara, how are you? – He always started conversations with standard small talk, Elara hated it. When she didn’t respond, he continued – I saw the pictures of the Gala this weekend, they were amazing. I am wondering, does this mean that we have a chance that Wayne Enterprises could use our services? Can you get us an appointment with Bruce Wayne to show our portfolio?



A migraine was already forming in Elara’s head. She knew Gabriel would see it as a company opportunity, which was the least she wanted, a boss meddling in her personal life for the company’s benefit.

  * No Gabriel, it was… it was just a one-time invite because of a fortuity encounter. – Elara was sticking to the coffee stain story just in case.



Sensing that Elara was getting angry, Gabriel decided to leave the topic open- Well, if there is a chance, you’ll let us know right? And he let the conversation die.

\--

On another side of the city, Bruce was ready to leave to fulfill his duty as head of a big company when he heard Alfred’s voice.

  * It is a matter of time before
  * I know – and Bruce regretted it. He dragged Elara to his chaotic world. Yet, he was glad that she was part of his life… however he was also afraid that she may want a way out and he wasn’t certain
  * You need to talk to her Master Bruce, so you can accept that Miss Elara is as compromised with this relationship as you want to be.



Alfred knew there was turmoil in Bruce’s mind, and he suspected in Elara’s mind as well. But he was clinging to the hope that had flourished during the past months and the fact that he left the Gala with her to affirm that there was something else between them. 

And Bruce wasn’t sure they had a relationship, even after the company, the coffee, the pays and cake, dinner, the gala, the need to make sure she was alright and the fact that she accepted Batman and Bruce without surprise. No, there couldn’t be a relationship in there, but he did not wanted to be ready to let her go. He needed to talk to her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> After a writer's block, realizing that their relationship needed a little more building, rewriting this chapter and a lot of work during quarantine, I was able to finish this chapter!!!
> 
> Didn't edit it or formatted it... so, sorry for all the mistakes.


End file.
